Mauricio Pochettino decided not to sign Joao Felix permanently this summer. Thus, ended up costing the former Chelsea winger over £6 million. Last season, the 23-year-old was on loan at Chelsea from Atletico Madrid. After having fallen out of favor with manager Diego Simeone.
Chelsea had the opportunity to pursue a permanent deal for Joao Felix this summer, but Pochettino ultimately decided against it, indicating that he had made up his mind about the player. Consequently, Felix made a last-minute loan move to Barcelona. There he expects to undergo a significant reduction in wages.
Atletico Madrid held firm in their stance that they wouldn’t allow Joao Felix to go out on loan again. Unless his entire salary was covered, which posed a challenge for financially strapped Barcelona. According to Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo, Felix had to agree to a significant salary reduction. Cutting his annual salary from £12.5 million to make the deal feasible.
What made Joao Felix leave Atletico Madrid?
Had Chelsea opted to retain the Portuguese, it’s plausible that he could have commanded a similar wage at Stamford Bridge. Given the willingness of Todd Boehly and others to make significant financial commitments.
Joao Felix also agreed to extend his contract with Atletico until 2029 when he accepted a wage reduction. Despite becoming the club’s all-time record signing in 2019, the Portuguese international now faces an uncertain future.
Atletico Madrid acquired Joao Felix for an astonishing £113 million from Benfica. But unfortunately, his time at the club hasn’t unfolded as they might have anticipated. Felix has grappled with injuries during his tenure in red and white and has also experienced a falling out with manager Diego Simeone.
Joao Felix and Diego Simeone engaged in a public exchange of comments last year when he suggested that Atletico’s drop in performance since winning the La Liga title in 2021 could be attributed to Simeone. He stated to The Athletic, “I think we all know what the problem is [with the team], I don’t want to say though.”
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